The Lotus of the Fire Nation Will Bloom Twice
by FangirlForever-N-Love
Summary: What if Zuko didn't grow up alone with Azula and her cronies? What if someone else joined him in banishment to find Aang? Well, this is where Lien comes into play... I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
1. Chapter 1

Lien PoV

I stared out over the playground. Most people didn't like me, and those that did were all too busy playing with each other or practicing something to bother trying to talk to me. of course I kept my eyes fixed on one person in particular more often than not.

Princess Azula, the second in line to Prince Ozai's name.

In all honesty, she scared me, and she seemed very controlling in my eyes. She was mean to her friends, if you could even call them that because of how much she used them. No matter how hard anybody tried they couldn't get close to being on a par with her because she was _that _much of a prodigy.

My parents had often told me to try to interact with her, but I really preferred the very rare but usually insightful conversations with Prince Zuko or Prince Lu Ten. They were almost polar opposites, but I had met Prince Lu Ten a few times and he seemed very kind.

"Lien!" I heard, and I turned around to find a teacher calling for me. "Your mother wants you home early, she and your father wanted to talk to you about something important!"

I nodded, having learned long ago with my one interaction with Prince Ozai that it was better to keep your mouth shut around adults and to let them do all the talking and controlling. No matter how badly I wanted out and to be free, I knew that as a Fire Nation citizen and as a very-high-ranking General's only daughter, that probably wouldn't happen.

I followed her out, hoping that they also had pulled my younger brother, Kuzon, out of class as well. My older brother was off fighting in the war against the Earth Kingdom alongside Prince Lu Ten and even with General Iroh sometimes. As proud as I wanted to be, I missed them and wished that this whole war was over already. It just never had settled right in my stomach, or in any part of me.

"Lien," my mother said calmly, and I looked over at another woman, this one who was tall, somewhat thin, beautiful (very much more so than my mother), and wore a crown of some sort.

"It's an honor to see you again, Princess Ursa," I bowed, and she smiled at me as I looked up at the woman that had somehow become almost like a second mother to me.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lien," she said placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Your mother and I have been talking about some things and there are a few things that we have decided to do that we think you should know about."

I stared up at her, wondering what she meant, not realizing that that conversation would change my life forever.

* * *

3rd PoV

Lu Ten and his two comrades in arms were all gathered in the Palace to hear what their fathers, and in Lu Ten's case uncle as well, had to say. To their surprise, all three men were looking at each other warily, and they immediately felt slight confusion.

"Boys, as you know it is a tradition for someone in a position of power to become betrothed," Lien's father began, and both boys paled, not wanting to be married to Azula. "An agreement has been made and we expect you to support this."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, knowing better than to intervene or interrupt.

"We have decided that since she has spent quite a bit of time with him and since they are friends, that Lien and Zuko are to be wedded when they come of age," Iroh said smiling, and all three males breathed a sigh of relief before they realized what had been said.

"Father, do you mean that Zuko is betrothed to be married?" Lu Ten verified, and Iroh nodded. "Does he know? Shouldn't we tell him?"

"I have not told him yet, and I don't intend to until he is almost of age," Ozai said with finality, and Lu Ten nodded.

"Lien," he mused before realizing something. "isn't that your sister?"

"That is," the two other young soldiers paled. "She won't like this at all."

* * *

"Lien, do you know what betrothed means?" her mother asked, and she shook her head. Ignoring her daughter's response, the non-bender continued anyways. "Well, regardless of whether you do or not, you are betrothed by your father's arrangement with your future father-in-law."

"Betrothed?" Lien gasped, shocked, and the two nodded. "You mean I am to be married?"

"Yes, to my son," Ursa smiled and nodded gently.

"Th-this year?" she asked terrified, and her mother scoffed.

"No, dear, when the two of you are both of age," Ursa explained gently. "Just try to be kind to him and try to help him, dear. Whether he knows it or not, both of you will become very good friends someday, I can see."

Lien stared up at Ursa before beginning to cry, afraid of being related to Azula and Ozai. Reaching towards the Princess, she is then swept from the room by her mother only to be scolded for 'behaving rudely' towards her. her punishment is for her to do more chores around the house and that she has to tell her father what she did when he gets home, prompting her to run and leave the room in a fit of tears, rushing to Ursa and crying onto her shoulder.

"Dani, do not scold her," Ursa said softly, gently rubbing Lien's back and letting her cry. "She is not used to this, and she is afraid. Not of Zuko, I sense, but most likely to be related to Fire Lord Azulon."

"P-Princess Azula and Prince Ozai," Lien whimpered into her shoulder, and Ursa sighed.

"I don't blame you for feeling this way, Lien," she said gently. "Please don't hesitate to come find me if you ever want to talk about the arrangement or anything else."

Lien was silent, not wanting to invoke her mother's wrath, but nodded into her shoulder and kept crying and whimpering while holding onto her tightly. Gradually, she falls asleep and Ursa smiles gently and carries her away to the bedroom while Dani, Lien's mother, looks on with a scowl.

"Dani, can you be a little gentler with her? She's such a sweet girl, and I can already see that she is nervous about everything around her because of Azula," Ursa said, not wanting to say that she could see how Lien was terrified of her own mother. "For old time's sake?"

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly, planning on only getting stricter and harsher once Ursa was out of the picture.

* * *

I, ahm... um...So... What do you think? This is one of the fanfics that I have on my flash drive that I just discovered when I was going through it to clean it off. I, um... yeah... I'm not a very good writer, I'm sorry...

Um... can you review, please? I'd like to know how to better improve my writings, and to be able to make more stories that you all would enjoy...


	2. Chapter 2

I, ahm... I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender... and, um... thank you to those who have reviewed on the first chapter!

* * *

Azula glared at Lien in the Fire Palace. Her mother, Ursa, and Dani, Lien's mother, were apparently once very good friends just as Mai and Ty Lee were with her, if not better, if that was possible. but what she'd noticed was that Lien was almost always silent and usually remained to herself while watching others, herself and Zuko in particular.

"If you love him so much go kiss him and marry him," Azula taunted one day, hurting Lien very deeply to the core.

She wanted to say something, _anything,_ to the Princess, but she just hung her head and bit her tongue, a trick that she had learned usually worked with her mother when she was getting barb-tongued. Of course, this only seemed to encourage Azula, who smirked.

"Of course, my stupid brother wouldn't even know what you were doing and would probably have you banished for doing so," she laughed. "You wouldn't even be able to tell him how you feel if you were, though, you'd have to go live in exile and die when we won the war because you would be found in the Fire Nation again!"

Lien felt the hot tears coming to her eyes, and try as she might to keep them in, she really couldn't for very much longer. She prayed to the Spirits that someone, _anyone_, would intervene and save her from Azula's sharp tongue.

"Azula, that is enough," they heard, and they looked over to find Iroh coming towards them with Zuko at his side. "I do not know what you have said, but it would be wisest for you to apologize to her instead of to your father. It is not ladylike to make an enemy of one of your peers."

"I'd like to see you make me."

Lien bowed to Iroh, who watched as Azula went off to torment someone else. Once Azula was out of sight, he smiled at her and motioned her over. the hot tears were then flowing from her eyes, much to her dismay, and she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"I apologize for my niece," he said softly. "She has been like this for as long as we can remember."

"'s okay," she mumbled, not knowing what else to do. She wasn't royalty after all, and her mother made it clear that she wasn't worth much in her eyes since she had wanted all sons to fight in the war.

"No, it is not," they heard as Lu Ten approached, and he also looked at her. "Azula and my Uncle Ozai would do well to learn a few lessons that my father has ensured that I learned. Zuko could as well, I admit, but just a couple instead of the entire set."

"Hey, sis!" Lien's older brothers beamed as they rushed to her, and she smiled up at them weakly and pushed back her tears.

"Come here!" her oldest brother said as he lifted her up and spun her around.

"Jin!" she yelped as she saw that she wasn't behaving like a proper lady in front of two Princes.

"No, it's alright," Iroh said calmly as the younger firebender put her down. "Lu Ten and I enjoy watching family dynamics."

"It's always fun to see how siblings interact with each other in ways that are different than that of my cousins," Lu Ten smiled. "I look forward to meeting your younger brother as well, Lien."

Lien blushed, stunned that he knew her name. Lu Ten smiled and looked at her two brothers while Iroh watched Zuko rush up and hug first him and then Lu Ten. He stared at Lien and then went to talk to his Uncle excitedly about firebending techniques.

"Just between the two of us," Lu Ten grinned as Lien's older brothers began arguing about who would get to do the same to their younger brother first, "They don't stop talking about you or your younger brother."

Lien blinked up at the teenager, who was straightening up with a sly smile, and she couldn't help but smile up at him. It was just contagious, and her brothers turned to them suspicious but said nothing as they sized up the two.

"What was that about?" the younger of her two older brothers asked.

"Just a speculation," he said calmly, and she nodded with a new light in her eyes that they hadn't seen since they left before frowning confused.

"What's a speculation?" she asked, and waited for the mocking laughter of Azula or her mother, thrown for a loop when there was none.

"Well, a speculation is when someone observes or watches something and notices something new about what they are watching," Lu Ten explained with a soft smile.

"Oh. Thank you," she smiled up at him, and he smiled down warmly at her. "I think you'd make a good papa, just like General Iroh is."

Lu Ten stared at her as her two brothers laughed while Zuko and Iroh turned to the group confused.

"Did I miss something?" Zuko asked staring at the two soldiers laughing their heads off.

"I heard my name mentioned," Iroh said slightly confused but putting the pieces together slowly.

"Thank you, I'm glad you think that," Lu Ten said smiling as he regained his composure after being taken aback by her remark. "And I'm sure you'll make a good mother someday just like my Aunt Ursa."

"Ah," Iroh smiled as the two brothers suddenly stopped laughing and stared at him.

"Um, Prince Lu Ten, you realize," one began slowly.

"I know," he said calmly, looking over at Zuko for a moment before turning back to them. "I meant it."

"But, our mother isn't exactly the best role model," the other protested.

"No, but she has my Aunt Ursa to help her since it's clear that she watches Aunt Ursa and my father to see what parents are _supposed_ to behave like," he pointed out, "Loving, patient, strict only when they must be, and will do anything to protect their child if possible."

Lien stared up at him in shock, not used to being complimented at all. Her mother said that she was worthless and would make a horrible mother. Could it be that her mother was wrong and was the wrong kind of mother that she needed to be? Was Prince Lu Ten right?

* * *

I... um... please review? I-I mean, if you'd like, that is... I mean you don't have to, but I'd like for you to. I-I mean-! *flits off*

Zuko: (staring at the author before scoffing). "Review."


	3. Chapter 3

I still don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'd like to send another thank you to everyone that reviews on all of my stories! Your reviews are what inspires me to keep writing!

* * *

"Your husband and sons are dead," Lien heard a messenger tell her mother, and tears filled her eyes as she fled up to the stairwell.

"Then take my final son," she heard her mother say, and she gasped. "I will not have my family dishonored because of a war."

"But ma'am, they died honorably," the messenger protested. "They died in battle helping General Iroh!"

"They have not returned, and so they are dishonoring my family. Take my final son, take my _daughter _if you must! My honor is all I have left aside from them, and I will do everything in my power to keep it, good sir," she said firmly, and the messenger sighed.

"Very well," he said at last. "I will take your son, but your daughter is a non-bender. We cannot have a non-bender in our ranks, let alone a female. It would cause too much confusion. If you want her to give you honor, I suggest you raise her right and try to get her married right."

"She is already betrothed."

"Then she has kept your honor, ma'am. My condolences for your loss," she heard before the door was shut.

"LIEN!" she immediately heard, and she rushed downstairs. "I am going to take your brother to the soldier offices! You are to clean the entire house while I am gone, and if I find so much as one speck of dust in this house when I return, you will wish that you had never been born!"

Lien nodded as she kept her eyes on the floor, knowing that it was what her mother wanted. She felt worthless, and as desperately as she wanted to cry out for her younger brother to stay, she couldn't find the voice. He was recruited into the army trainee camps, and there was no stopping her mother's fetish with the illusion of what she thought was honor.

She rushed through the chores, struggling to clean some of the more filthy rooms of the house, but she couldn't bring herself to touch her brothers' bedrooms. It just hurt too much, and she was crying in her bed as her mother returned. she gasped and tried to hide her tears, but it was too late – her mother had seen them as she entered the room.

"How dare you disobey me?!" she screamed. "How dare you not clean the house like I told you to!"

"I did, mother, I thought we'd wait for the boys to come home," she protested through a massive amount of stuttering that made it almost impossible to understand her.

"SILENCE! First your father and brothers die in combat, then you disobey me, now you talk back to me! you insolent, ungrateful abomination! Get in the position, now!"

She hastily obeyed to get in the prisoner of war position, and she had to clench her jaw shut to make sure that she didn't scream out as her mother beat her mercilessly. She still had to fight back the tears, and she wished to the ends of the earth that she was of age so she could marry Zuko and get out of her wretched house.

"He was right," she stammered almost inaudibly as her mother was in the doorway. "Prince Lu Ten was right. Princess Ursa is a better mother."

She hadn't realized that she had spoken loud enough for her mother to hear, and she realized her mistake as her mother screeched with fury and grabbed a candlestick and began to beat her with it just as hard as she possibly could. She didn't stop until Lien felt her world caving in around her and a loud yelling at the door.

* * *

"Lien?" she heard, and she slowly opened her eyes, exhausted.

"Papa?" she mumbled, unsure of where she was.

"Dani must have hit her head very hard in order to cause this."

"I am going to have a talk with that woman, I told her to stop it," she heard Ursa snap angrily.

"Princess, I'm afraid this is all I can do for her, it is up to her now," the male voice said.

"Thank you. I'll watch over her from here and send for you if you are needed again."

Lien now saw that her world was beginning to come into focus ever so slightly. She felt nothing but pain, and she whimpered as she tried to fight back a scream.

"Shh, Lien, it's alright," she heard a female say, and she wondered if she had died and joined her father and brothers in the Spirit World. "Shh, it's alright, you're safe now."

"Mother, what's going on?" she heard a new male say confused. "Azula says that you had to get a future relative of ours away from her home."

"Shh, Zuko, she's badly hurt," Ursa scolded gently. "I did. She's resting now, but she still whimpers in pain."

"Isn't that the girl that Azula's always picking on?" she heard the Prince ask softly as he approached. "I haven't seen so many bruises on someone's face in my life… mother, what happened to her?"

"It is, and her mother beat her nigh unto death. She won't be going back there if I can help it."

"Her mother _beat _her?" she heard the Prince ask in shock. "But why?"

"Dani has a temper issue," Ursa sighed as Lien whimpered again. "It's alright, Lien, just let it out."

Lien whimpered a few more times before more pain registered in her body than ever before, and she finally couldn't keep in the scream of pain as she felt it flood through her system. She couldn't register anything but the pain, and she screamed for as loudly and as long as she could in a desperate attempt to free herself.

"Zuko, hand me the tea," Ursa said as he had covered his ears, wincing at the screams. "Hurry!"

Zuko grabbed the tea and gave it to his mother, and she poured it and gently lifted Lien up.

"Easy, Lien, this will dim the pain, I promise," she soothed as she poured it into Lien's mouth, and the younger female was forced to swallow the tea in order to keep from choking.

She coughed and sputtered some and was about to scream some more when she noticed that the pain was gradually dimming. She kept moaning, trying to convey a small thanks to her rescuer, only to feel tears stinging at her cheeks as they ran down.

"Shh, it's alright," Ursa soothed as Zuko set the tea back down and cleaned out his ears.

"She screams loud," he complained.

"Zuko, she would not be screaming unless it was too much for her to bear on her own. Her mother has trained her to hide her emotions, keep quiet and out of sight as much as possible and to be the perfect slave. What she sees in our family is the only outside influence that she has from that home."

Zuko stared in shock, now realizing the full impact of what his family was doing for this injured girl. He stared at her as her moaning slowly died down into whimpering and eventually silence as the tears kept coming down her cheeks.

"I want an Agni Kai," he decided, and Ursa turned to him confused. "With her mother, I won't sit by and watch this!"

"Zuko, her mother isn't a bender," Ursa sighed, and he growled angrily. "However, I'm sure a few weeks without Lien will do Dani good. After all, it's time she again learned how to cook and clean and do everything that she was forcing Lien to do."

"I hate this," Zuko grumbled. "We can't do anything."

"We can, Zuko. Just being her friend will help her so much more than you could ever know," Ursa said shaking her head. "She has no father or brothers, and her younger brother has already been pushed into military training school by her mother. They were the only ones that ever treated her with respect aside from the three of us."

"Uncle Iroh, Lu Ten and you," he realized. "I'm sorry, mother. I'll try to be her friend, but I'm not sure how to."

"Just trying is all that matters, son. Just showing her that you care will probably send her into culture shock."

"I still say I want an Agni Kai with her mother."

* * *

I, I... uh... did I get Prince Zuko out of character from when he was a child? Oh, I hope not!

I, um... can I get another review please? I-I'm not a good writer, and-and...They-they make me feel like I'm improving, even if just by a tiny bit...

please, even just one review?


	4. Chapter 4

Lien once again opened her eyes, this time after having drunken the bitter drink that her caretaker had continued insisting that she drink. To her confusion, she was neither in her room nor the hospital. She let out a startled cry of pain as she tried to sit up, not understanding what had happened or how much time had passed.

"You're awake," she heard, and looked over to find a male in the doorway with a long thick ponytail.

"P-Prince Zuko?" she asked confused.

"The one and only," he replied as he walked in with Azula hot on his heels. "Go away, Azula, mother told me to watch over her, not you."

"Mother says that she was hurt, and she's been here a week, I can do as I please now," Azula sneered.

"Princess Azula, Mai and Ty Lee are here to play," they heard, and Azula sneered at them and left to go play with her friends.

Zuko quickly shut the door most of the way, not wanting to get in trouble for being alone in an enclosed room with a girl. Lien then felt the pain begin to return, and she winced as it did so.

"Is the pain back?" he asked her, and her eyes dropped to the floor. "You can speak freely around me, you know."

She nodded, silent, not believing that the young and arrogant prince had said what he had. It was a trick her mother used often, one that she detested.

"Here, mother says this takes away the pain," he said handing her a cup of tea and then trying to help lift her up with his other arm.

"I thought I heard someone awake in here," they heard, and both children turned pale-faced to find Ozai standing at the door. "Zuko, what are you doing?"

"Trying to help her get some medicine, father," he said obediently. "Mother said to help her take it if she was in a lot of pain."

"So this is Dani's girl," he said sizing her up. "What did you do to be punished?"

Lien hesitated but knew that not answering would get her in even more trouble.

"I failed to clean my older brothers' rooms when she told me to clean the house," she whimpered. "I-I couldn't-I-It hurt too much…"

"Your muscles?" Zuko asked confused.

"Heart," she whimpered, trying not to cry.

"That's not very fair," Zuko frowned.

"Ah, yes, that's right," Ozai said calmly. "You're the oldest child now. How does it feel, out of curiosity? I've never experienced it myself."

"I hate it, sir," she said trying to keep back her sobs. "I don't want to be the oldest. It makes mama even more mean…"

"Meaner, you mean," Ozai corrected. "Do you know how long you were here, child?"

"N-No, sir."

"A week. Your mother has been pestering my wife the whole time demanding your return. Zuko, roll up her sleeves."

Lien winced and whimpered but said nothing as the Prince obeyed, flinching as she heard his gasps of shock at the sight of her battered and bruised arms.

"So Ursa wasn't exaggerating when she said that you were nearly dead when she intervened," Ozai observed. "Admittedly, this will not do at all. Child, you are not going back to your mother. So long as my son is in this household, you will not be going back there unless you want to."

"Th-Thank you, P-Prince Ozai," she managed. "You are most gracious, sir."

"Big words for a tiny mouth," Azula sneered, and Ozai looked down at her. "Yes, father?"

"Azula, you are to treat this young girl with respect," she heard him say, and all three children gaped in shock. "Someday you will understand, but until then, do as I say without question."

"Yes, father," she smiled up at him, going over to Lien and almost hugging her before she saw the bruises. "Wow! That must have hurt! Right, sorry, father! Um, do you want to play?"

"Azula, she just woke up, let her recover," Zuko protested. "She's been asleep on pain-killers for a week, give her time!"

"I-I-I d-d-don't th-think I'd b-b-be m-much g-good," she stammered, shocked that the prince was defending her. "Th-th-thank you, th-though."

Ursa walked over to Ozai, and watched the display. The two parents were silent as Azula shrugged and left the area. Ursa sighed and gave Ozai a pleading look, which he nodded at and left. The look in her eyes changed to a gentle and caring one as she turned and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"It's good to see you awake," she smiled at Lien, who was now registering more pain. "Zuko, hold the cup, I'll get her."

He nodded and the two again administered the medicine. This time, however, Lien stayed awake, albeit groggily. Zuko watched curiously and then looked up at his mother worried about Lien's glassy stare.

"She's improving," Ursa smiled. "She's awake still, that counts for something. Ask her something."

"Okay, um," he said struggling to think of a question that his father hadn't asked. "What do you think of Azula?"

"Brat," Lien said, and Zuko growled. "She's a brat. Azula needs Agni Kai scolding from General Iroh."

"Is she really staying?" Zuko asked as he grinned up at his mother, whose eyes were wide but amused and glad that someone agreed with her son. "Mother?"

"yes, she's staying," Ursa smiled down at him. "I've already spoken with Dani, and even though she hates the idea of losing her final child – or rather, her child that she treats worse than a slave – she will stay."

"Good," Zuko said smiling. "This gives me someone that takes my side against Azula!"

"I don't think she'll be much good in an argument, son," Ursa said gently. "She's too gentle, and her mother has hurt her deeply, both physically, emotionally and even psychologically."

"What do those mean?"

"Physically is where it is a wound that you see, like the bruises. Emotionally is where the wound is upon her emotions, such as how she is confused by praise. Psychologically is where it is a wound in the mind, such as how she is silent and is almost always waiting to be scolded or beaten."

"So by being her friend I can help change that?"

"You can, very much so, Zuko," Ursa said smiling. "Her father was a high-ranking General. If the two of you become close enough friends, then your father may permit for the two of you to marry someday."

"Eyew, mom! I don't want to get married!"

"Zuko, if something happens to Lu Ten, then you're the future Fire Lord, you have to get married," she explained gently. "What if his wife dies having his baby and his baby dies as well? He'll need you to take the throne after him, or to adopt one of your future children. Do you really want Azula taking the throne because she was married and you weren't?"

"I still think it's a bad idea," he protested. "But I'll get married so I can help Lu Ten. Just not yet, okay?!"

"No, no, son, it would be when you came of age," she laughed. "You still have a long time yet."


	5. Chapter 5

I still don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I, um, I only own my OC's (Lien and her blood family)... and a few animals. The episode tag for this, um... it's when Prince Zuko's remembering his Agni Kai. Zuko Alone, I think? I'm sorry if I'm wrong about that one!

This chapter is dedicated to **Darkest Nightmare's Dread**, my first reviewer and follower! In response to the reviews that I received: I'm glad that I could get the personalities of the characters right, and even get Dani across as the abusive mother that I wanted her to be.

* * *

"Please, father, I only had the fire nation's best interest at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"

Lien stared in front of her, eyes wide and almost unseeing as she waited at the silence that signified that Ozai was speaking. The silence continued until she heard Ozai yelling, signifying that Zuko had apparently replied to what he'd said before.

"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" she heard Ozai yell, and she flinched, knowing that Zuko would not because of his promise that he'd made to her, the promise that if things went bad with his father that he would not repeat the mistake of her mother.

Lien cringed and covered her ears as she heard Zuko's cries of pain. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her to her room, terrified at what would happen. She heard the medics pass, and she followed them slowly towards where they would tend to Zuko. She shivered and wondered what Ursa would say to comfort him.

She hadn't always stayed at the palace, and had joined Uncle Iroh in his quest after Lu Ten's death, staying beside him and remaining as a comfort to him since she knew what it was like to lose not one, but _three _loved ones in the war. Days had turned into weeks and weeks into months, and gradually they both seemed to overcome their grief and look to the one person that they still had left from the war that could fill the hole that their loved ones had left behind – Zuko.

To nobody's surprise, Lien was the first one ready to talk to Zuko after the medics would let anybody in, and she almost silently padded in. he looked up at her, and she saw shame in his eyes as he turned away to hide the gauze on the left side of his face.

"You did the right thing," she said at last, and he glared at her. "Sticking up for what was right, I mean."

"Nephew," they heard, and they turned to find Iroh walking in and closing the door behind him. "I am so sorry, Zuko, I should never have let you in."

"No, he was right, Uncle," Lien said nodding. "Fire Lord Ozai _shouldn't _be behaving this way. He hated what my mother did to me, but he just repeated the same mistake and made the final step into being a monster. I hope he gets what's coming to him in the end."

"Lien, you-you shouldn't be here," Zuko protested. "I didn't fight him. He'll banish me if he finds you here."

"Then I'm coming with you," she said firmly, and he stared at her in shock. "I mean it, Prince Zuko. He can't just treat you like this because of one little instance of disobedience!"

"Actually, I can," they heard as Ozai walked in, and Lien put herself immediately beside Zuko, making it clear whose side she was on. "So that is how this will be, after all that I have done for you, Lien?"

"I stand by what I've said to Prince Zuko," she said firmly. "My mother nearly killed me for one small bout of disobedience. I don't like watching parents fight their children like this. Please, Fire Lord Ozai, please give him one more chance, banish _me _if you must, but please give him one more chance!"

"How pathetic, having a _girl _fight your battles," Ozai spat at Zuko.

"I did this on my own accord! Prince Zuko was the one that told me to get out of here before I got hurt!"

"On your own, Lien? Then I stand by what I said when I took you in before. You are hereby sentenced to go back to your home, Lien. Zuko, you are hereby _banished _from the Fire Nation. Enjoy your final moments together. Oh, and Lien… be sure to tell your mother that the deal that she made with my wife is null and void."

Lien and Zuko paled, and she glared hatefully at the Fire Lord, wanting to scream and swear at him, with the only thing keeping her from doing being Iroh. He put his hand over her mouth, and looked down sadly at the two children.

"Lien, you are welcome to join us if you so wish."

"Us?" the two asked taken aback.

"I will speak with my brother and try to reason with him. I will do everything in my power to help you restore your honor, my nephew," Iroh said calmly. "Lien, you will need to return home if only to please his wishes and to gather some other things that you will need to bring with you. Both of you, bring your dual dao swords to train."

Lien hated to go home, but she trusted Iroh's judgment. She gathered her clothes and what few other things the current Fire Lord had supplied for her over the years. But the worst part of it was that she had to go home, although at this point she wasn't sure whose lifestyles she hated more - Ozai and Azula's, or her own mother's.

"What if she tries to punish me?" she asked terrified, and he looked at her with a gentle look that she had only known from one other person – her father.

"Then I will meet you there as soon as I can to oversee your trip. Even in exile, either one of you has more honor than Dani."

…

"You _what_?!" she screamed, and Lien lit a candle within the room to help remind herself to stay calm and focused like she did in meditation alongside Iroh.

"I'm going with him," she said firmly, looking at her mother as bravely as she could.

"You worthless _abomination_! I raise you and gave you everything, and this is how you treat me?! your younger brother is going out onto the battlefield soon, and this is all you can think to do?! Join our _exiled_ prince in some stupid quest to get his honor back that won't work?!"

"Even in exile, Prince Zuko has more honor than _you_," Lien said keeping her eyes away from her mother, knowing that it was how her mother had controlled her before.

"You wicked piece of filth! Say that to my face!" she screamed, and Lien snorted.

"No. You're not worth it. You're not worth a sky bison dropping. You're not even worth one of my own droppings."

Lien's mother screamed with rage, wheeling her child to face her. but before either of them could react, flames soared higher up to the ceiling and surrounding them, trapping them both.

* * *

So, um... what do you think should happen to Dani? I won't be able to update much since I'm about to lose my access to my school Wi-Fi. I, uh... my summer college course is ending, so... yeah... then I'll have to wait until after August nineteenth to update. The only Saturdays I can update is-are the ones where I'm at the library to do some research. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

Please review?


	6. Chapter 6

I s-still don't own _Avatar: The Last Airbender_! Th-this chapter is dedicated to **AnastasiaBradleyWhiteRanger**, m-my th-third story follower!

* * *

The flames roared higher, consuming the house and almost everything in it. She could hear her mother's screams of alarm, screaming and swearing for her to dim the fires, but all she registered was that she was surrounded by fire and that she would not be able to join Zuko. Thinking that it was Ozai at work, she crouched over her bag of things and willed the fires away from her.

"Lien!" she heard someone shout, and the flames then dimmed out after her mother had left the house screaming like a madwoman.

"General Iroh!" she called out, terrified of what was going on. "Help me, please!"

"I'm coming," he called back through, now finding that the fires were making a slight path for him as she wished that he would hurry and come to her.

"General," she murmured, clinging to him terrified, still terrified of the flames around her.

"Come, I sense something is at work here," he said looking around and finding the candle's flames being the source of the fire.

She let him lead her out, clinging to him while keeping her things safely between them, and she stared at the form of her former home burning mercilessly as she stared in shock at what had happened.

"Why?" she asked him, looking up terrified as medics attempted to tend to her mother. "Why did Fire Lord Ozai do this?"

Iroh was silent, but instead opted to take her to the ship and away from her home. She was still wide-eyed and shivering when they arrived, and Zuko turned to her with worry. To his shock, she ran to him and began crying, sobbing out everything that she could remember. She had, however, placed the candle under a window, and so when she had made it grow towards her mother, she had thought that it was someone shooting a fireball in to kill her, and it was this version of the story that she told.

"Lien, you must breathe," Iroh reminded gently, and she took a deep gasp for air, having forgotten to breathe in her panicked sobbing onto Zuko's clothes. "Try to match your breathing with that of mine or Prince Zuko."

She complied, and gradually she relaxed as the ship made its way away from the Fire Nation.

"Well, Uncle? How am I to restore my honor?" Zuko asked at last.

"You must find and kill the Avatar."

"But wouldn't he get his honor back anyways by finding the Avatar, training him or her in firebending, and then helping defeat Princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai?" Lien asked confused.

"No," Zuko snapped. "It won't work like that."

"Uncle, what do you think?" Lien asked him, and Iroh sighed.

"I think that we shall have separate training times," he said changing the subject. "Zuko, you will train Lien in the ways of the Dual Dao swords in the morning while I meditate. Come mid-day, we will stop and I will teach her Pai Sho during lunch while you meditate. In the afternoons, she will meditate while I train you with firebending."

Lien sighed, knowing that if he'd changed the subject and set things up in three different training and meditation sessions, then he had a plan and he was sticking to it.

…

Lien had gasped as she had first seen the full extent of Zuko's scar. He had turned away immediately, only for her to gently run her finger down the burned flesh, and he slapped her hand away.

"It's not a mark of exile, you know," she said softly. "I think it's a mark of-!"

"Don't even think about saying it," he snapped, and she flinched.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend," she stammered, immediately going back to her defensive wall that her mother had trained her into.

"No, I'm sorry," he sighed. "I shouldn't be taking my anger out on you, especially when we're both in exile because of my Agni Kai."

"It was worth it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, and she smiled.

"I'd much rather join you in exile and be away from Fire Lord Ozai and your brat sister while wishing that they would get punished for what they keep doing to you than to stay in the Fire Nation and wish for the same thing."

"Why would you want to be in exile?"

"Because it gets you away from your monsters of a father and sister duo," she replied with a shrug as they stared out over the ocean. "You want to train still?"

"Nah, not right now. I still need to recover."

"Uncle says that he got a letter from my mother."

"What was it about?"

"She wanted to know if I was where I am. She wrote it formally, but we could both tell that she was ready to kill over it. Supposedly she has burns all over the back half of her body now."

"Well, we finally got the Agni Kai we wanted her to get, I suppose," Zuko sighed. "Just not in the way we wanted it to happen."

"You know what? If it was up to me, I'd be a female dragon, and I'd let you be my rider so that we can take down your dad together!"

"Too bad all the dragons are dead now…"

"Yeah," she murmured sadly, the two of them not realizing that Iroh was listening intently to their conversation. "I wish that Sozin wasn't a lunatic that had to start a war."

"Avatar Roku's the one to blame, he didn't stop him!"

"But what if that's not his fault because he had died and his successor was still a kid?"

"Then it's his successor's fault anyways since now I have to hunt said successor down!"

"Zuko, please don't do this," she begged quietly. "You don't have to do whatever your father says, just like I don't have to do whatever my mother says. We can hire an assassin to kill Azula, and then kill your dad to put you back into power! Come on, Zuko, there has to be another way!"

"There _is _no other way," he snapped angrily.

"Okay," she said softly. "I won't get in your way. But I won't help you kill him or her, either!"

"I can deal with that," he growled as Iroh came outside and motioned Lien inside for an early lesson.

* * *

I-I t-tried to k-keep P-Prince Zuko in character! I'm sorry if I failed!

R-reviews are greatly appreciated... can I get one more, please?


	7. Chapter 7

I still don't own A:TLA...

* * *

Lien watched as the young Air Nomad passed the tests that had been set out. She smiled and looked at Zuko, trying to convey her idea once more, but she frowned and tried to make herself invisible as he ignored her and started ranting at the young Avatar.

But when the time came that Katara and Sokka had broken Aang out of the ship, Lien made good on her word and did nothing to either help or hinder Zuko, aside from the fact that she had leapt into the water with a rope tied around her waist and to the ship in order to rescue him.

"What was that?!" he shouted at her, and she sighed.

"You were drowning," she said softly. "I didn't want to lose my only friend aside from Uncle Iroh."

Zuko's eyes softened as he realized what she'd just said, but his eyes soon hardened again as they watched Appa fly away.

"You could have helped me before!" he shouted at her.

"I told you that I had no business with the Avatar and that I was only here for moral support!" she shot back calmly.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka watched from a distance and listened as the two fought.

"She was there when he tested me to see if I was the Avatar," Aang said softly.

"Do you think they're siblings?" Katara asked as she looked down at the duo. "It would explain why they're together. Twins maybe?"

"No, she called the old man 'General Iroh' while he called him 'Uncle Iroh'," Aang said confused. "I wonder what their relationship is."

"You freaking idiot! You didn't have to join me in exile, I told you to leave the room and if you had neither of us would be here right now!"

"I did what I had to!" she shouted back as they got back on deck, severing the rope with a dual dao sword and storming off to cry.

…

Lien pushed Zhao with a cry of outrage as he went to shoot Zuko in the back with flames. Zuko wheeled around in shock and the Admiral gaped and almost landed a burn mark on her left arm, causing her to again cry out in shock. She immediately ran towards Zuko and Iroh for comfort, and put herself behind the two males as she sized up everything to check for any possible injuries that she could have sustained unknowingly.

"Even in exile my nephew has more honor than you," she heard Iroh say, and she looked up as she just now remembered that it was extremely dishonorable to attack someone when their back was turned before or after an Agni Kai – more dishonorable than what Ozai had done to Zuko and vice versa.

"Like that traitor could have honor," Zhao spat.

"If Prince Zuko doesn't have any honor, then you have less honor than his droppings or the dirt he walks on!" Lien snapped, making Zhao stop in his tracks and gape at her in shock.

"Surely not… Dani's girl? Oh, this is rich, you took a friend with you," Zhao sneered. "What did you do, kidnap her?"

"I came willingly, thank you very much! I made a promise to him and I have every intention of keeping it, now shut your mouth and get constipated!"

"I can see why Dani was always strict with you," he said glaring at her. "She should have beaten you more often and harsher when she could have."

"That witch nearly killed my friend already," Zuko growled, getting ready to fight in another Agni Kai over Lien's honor. "That witch nearly killed Lien just before my parents took her in under their wing. It was a mistake of Dani's that cost her Lien."

"And what mistake would that be?" Zhao sneered.

"The same one that Ozai made," Lien glared dangerously angry, "The one that nearly killed Zuko and I both."

"Fighting you one on one? Fine, choose to live in exile," Zhao spat at her. "But when your mother dies without an heir, who do you think will bury her?"

"Who do you think? My little brother," Lien spat. "That witch is no mother of mine!"

"I couldn't have put that better myself," Zuko smiled before he realized what Lien was saying.

…

Lien arrived at the Spirit Oasis right as Team Avatar arrived back. Zuko had shot her a look, but kept his mouth shut alongside the others as they realized that she was sneaking up on Admiral Zhao. She could have used her swords, but she knew better and instead decided to use Zhao's own blade against him. To her relief, Iroh and the others kept Zhao busy while only the Firebenders took notice of her. they relaxed, thinking that she was on their side and sneaking up on Zuko and the others.

"No!" she snapped as she lunged for the Admiral as fled from the scene.

She, too, felt the shift and imbalance in the world as the moon spirit died, and she grappled for Zhao's blade as best she could. She hissed, kicked and fought with him just as much as she could before she found his knife to her throat and slicing the lower part of her jaw on the underside where you would have to look to find it.

She was so close to stopping him, and yet she had failed. She couldn't see the massive ocean spirit, but she could easily sense its precense and how Aang was acting as its channel. She felt dizzy, and wondered how long it would be before someone came to her rescue, if at all. Had Zuko abandoned her?

"It's okay, you're alright," she heard someone say, and she felt a tiny amount of the Oasis water on her wound, healing it.

She let herself relax near the waterbender, knowing that the Spirit Oasis water would heal her wound entirely. She couldn't quite hear what the others were saying, but things were now sliding into focus, and she opened her eyes up at the waterbender.

"You're a firebender," she said shocked, backing away.

"I fought the one that killed the fish," she rasped weakly, trying to defend herself nonviolently like she preferred. "I'm sorry… I should have… killed Zhao when… I had the chance… a few days… ago…"

She felt her world go dark as she gave in to her exhaustion, wondering if Zuko would care.


	8. Chapter 8

Aang: FangirlForever-N-Love doesn't own anybody but Lien and Lien's blood family in this story.

Zuko: Duh, that's why it's called _fanfiction_! Wait- GET BACK HERE! I NEED TO RESTORE MY HONOR!

Aang: Uh-oh (runs off with Zuko chasing him)

* * *

"Hey, she's waking up," she heard and she hesitantly opened her eyes weakly to find that she was still in the Spirit Oasis. "Who wants to interrogate her?"

"Sokka, don't! She fought the one that killed Tui, she said that she regretted not killing him a few days ago when she fought him!" she heard the same female waterbender protest, and she looked around her weakly.

"Uncle," she rasped, and they turned to her. "Uncle Iroh…"

"The firebender that tried to stop Zhao, you mean?" she heard a boy ask, and she looked at Aang weakly and nodded, trying to bow in place but flinching and laying back in pain.

"Y-Yes," she rasped. "Honor to… meet you… Avatar…"

"You tried to stop Zhao, too," Aang said softly. "I could drop you off back on the ship, but… I still need a firebending teacher down the road."

"No good…" she rasped. "Can't…"

She cut off in a coughing fit, freezing cold. She noticed that one of the two siblings was now bringing a coat forwards, and she flinched and let her eyes fall to the oasis floor, watching the two fish swim in circles once more. She, too, could see Spirits like Iroh could, and she had vaguely seen how Yue had been blessed by the moon Spirit. Now instead of the previous moon Spirit, she could see Yue within the fish.

"Sorry," she rasped to the fish. "This wouldn't have happened if I'd had the courage to kill him when I had the chance. I'm so sorry…"

They stared at her in shock, unsure of what to make out of it.

"Wait, you knew?" Aang asked, and she turned to him and blinked.

"No," she sighed at last. "But like my mentor before me, I can sense and see Spirits for who they really are, even those blessed by the Spirits."

"Who was your mentor?" Aang asked excitedly, and she sighed.

"Someone who went to the Spirit world and back while being mortal, but not the Avatar," she said vaguely, and they stared at her. "It's true, I promise."

Yue flicked up her tail, and Lien looked back to the fish.

"Thank you for trying to help me," she heard Yue say. "You fought well, firebender. Thank you. Do not blame yourself for what has happened, it was not your fault. You couldn't have known what he was doing."

"I should have," she said softly to Yue. "I'll never trust Fire Nation soldiers again unless I knew them personally."

Aang, Sokka, and Katara's eyes widened at this, and they stared at each other just before La flicked its tail.

"We appreciate your trying to help us," La said. "However, your domain is not with us. We can sense how you are a good spirit, one that is friends to almost any Spirit that will side with the Avatar. You are also a peacemaker as much as possible, but will do what is necessary to help your comrades and to fight for what is right. Please, do not hesitate to meditate and speak to any of the Spirits."

"You were not blessed by them like I was, but the others have already gotten news of what has happened here in the Oasis," Yue explained. "Some of them wish to meet you, and Wan Shi Tong expresses his gratitude for trying to fix the mistake of the one that misused his library."

"Please tell him it was my pleasure," Lien said softly to them. "I was merely doing what any other _decent _person should have done. Thank you for your words of wisdom… they're a great help to me."

"Our pleasure," Yue smiled as Lien got back up slowly, looking over at the trio.

"You can understand them as well?" Aang asked, and Lien nodded. "What were they thanking you for?"

"They were thanking me on behalf of a Spirit that I tried to avenge," she said wincing at the cold. "Zhao had abused a library Spirit's trust, and said Spirit was merely thanking me for trying to avenge him. It looks like someone else did so for me."

"Please, stay as long as you like," the water tribe warrior said looking at her with interest.

"Sorry, but I'm already betrothed," she smiled weakly before frowning and groaning. "I have a ship to get back to. Oh, no, I just remembered… that idiot Zhao blew it up…"

"You can join us on Appa!" Aang offered. "We could use a firebender! And I need a firebending teacher!"

"I'm afraid that I can't," she sighed sadly. "You wouldn't be able to learn anything from me. My father and brothers were, but…"

"They died in the war?" the warrior supplied, and Lien nodded weakly with tears in her eyes.

"The custom…" she said softly. "Princess Yue kept fingering her necklace. What does it mean?"

"It's a betrothal necklace," he explained. "She was to be my bride."

"Standing up for herself is good," Lien countered with a heavy sigh. "Losing her life was not except for the fact that it was to save the world. If it were up to me, I would marry for love, but unfortunately I _was _in the same boat that she was."

"What happened to him?"

"Fire Lord Ozai banished him and made sure that the deal between my parents and that of my fiancée was nullified. To be honest, I actually liked who they had me destined to marry…"

"Seriously?" they all gaped in shock. "Who was it?"

"He was my first friend," she reminisced. "We first bonded over a mutual hate for his younger sister that behaves more like a monster. That and I was badly hurt. I'm not sure why he started looking to me as a friend, but he did. Over time I guess I developed a crush on him. Or maybe it just became more prominent and noticeable to me? I don't know. We were betrothed already at age nine. I'd been horrified at first, but since we'd been given time to get to know each other things had been working out up until he was banished."

"What was he like?"

"Hair that was such a dark brown you'd think it was black," she sighed. "His eyes were as golden as the sun, and his fires just as strong, it seemed like. He was always so sweet to me, going out of his way to make sure I was comfortable emotionally. He pulled me out of my terrified shell and made me the girl I am today by being there for me and making sure that I knew that there was always a place I could return to."

"Did he know?" Sokka asked, and Lien beamed.

"Actually, no he didn't," she said trying not to laugh. "His cousin and my older brothers – all deceased now – knew, and our parents all knew, but he and his younger sister didn't know."

"Oh that's just mean," Sokka laughed. "I think the way your mother thinks!"

"You would want her dead if you knew her like I did," Lien said with such hatred in her eyes that it made them shiver. "I've wanted her dead for as long as I can remember."

"But why? Your mother can't be _that _bad!"

"She tried to kill me numerous times. She treated me like a slave, worse than a slave, and the worst part was that she swore that if I was a firebender, she'd kill me herself. That was how I went to live in my fiancée's house – she had literally beaten me until I was practically knocking on death's door before my future-mother-in-law intervened."

"Oh, wow, I'm so sorry," Katara said softly.

"I never caught your name," Aang said at last, and Lien smiled.

"My name is Lien," she said as her eyes melted from the cold hatred to the warmth of embers that it had been before as she stared into the Air Nomad's grey eyes. "Former resident of the Fire Nation and willingly exiled to get away from Fire Lord Ozai."

* * *

Zuko: (finally stops running and realizes Lien is gone)... Lien! Lien, where are you?!

Lien: (hiding in the Water Oasis) Review, please!


	9. Chapter 9

Only Lien and her blood family are mine!

* * *

Lien had continued to watch Zuko throughout his travels, oftentimes frowning and shaking her head at some of the things that he'd done. When it came down to the wire, though, and things were getting chaotic, she would sometimes switch sides and screw up the plans of both Zuko and Aang's in terms of defeating each other. She was determined to push Zuko and Aang together as teacher and student if it was the last thing she did.

Finally, after Wan Shi Tong's Library, in the which he'd thanked her himself and she had left before the others could even give him their items, she headed on away towards a nearby merchant town. She knew that Zuko and Iroh were refugees now, and she had located a tavern. She'd been in the back and heard the scuffle, and she grinned as she was the one to drag the two away from there while they were hiding in two pots.

To their surprise, she joined them on the trip to Ba Sing Sei, and was even there to help them as they needed it. Luckily for her and Iroh, she was a quick learner, and so she excelled under his tutelage at night while Zuko kept sneaking off. She knew where he was going and what he was doing, and she didn't care so long as it left her unaffected.

But when the Dai Li stopped Appa from getting to him, she had willingly gotten another Sky Bison whistle and tried to use it again to lure him out of hiding. Hearing something underground, she approached Zuko and told him what she'd done and how she needed his help. Grudgingly, he had joined her and they rushed to the room that Appa was in.

"I say we wait for the Avatar," Zuko snarled at her impatiently.

"Please, Zuko," she pled. "Please, let him go. He's just a bison, he's already scared enough, can't you see that he just wants to go home like you do?"

Zuko opened his mouth but shut it and grudgingly let Appa go after jumping on his horns and steering the bison out. To Lien's relief, they landed smoothly after jumping off, but she grew worried when Zuko went to bed. She turned to Iroh, who simply smiled and took a new firebending stance. Lien gave Zuko one last sorrowful look before turning back to Iroh and mimicking his stance.

…

Over the course of the next few days she and Iroh would wind up having many mock Agni Kai's, without using Firebending of course since it was clear to her that she couldn't and how she had requested that he not give them away simply because she felt that it was her duty to learn the forms as her brothers had.

But finally, one day, Iroh had taken one after another and poor Lien was too lost trying to figure out what he was doing before he stopped and looked at her.

"Um… sorry," she said shaking her head shocked. "I didn't quite catch all that."

"It's quite alright, Lien," he smiled gently. "But I must ask something of you."

"of course! Anything, Uncle Iroh," she pressed, having come to call and view him as an Uncle over the time that she'd spent with Zuko.

"Should something happen to me, I want you to follow my legacy and remember this dance when you meet my firebending teachers," he said as he began to slowly make the movements again.

This time he waited for her to finish one pose before moving on to another. When she finished the movements, she felt strangely stronger inside somehow. Where she'd been shy and only fought when absolutely necessary – or when Zuko was on the line – she now felt as though she would be able to fight more and stronger when the time came to fight again.

"How do you feel?" he asked with a smile, and she looked up at him.

"Stronger somehow, like a new energy filled me up," she smiled. "What was that?"

"The Dancing Dragon," he said softly. "Someday I will be unable to be your teacher, and I fear it is because of my brother and possibly my niece as well. When the time comes, I want you to help him defeat her and win back his rightful place. I need you to help guide him in my stead just as you did a few nights ago with the bison."

"I will, Uncle," she bowed lowly. "Shall I keep practicing the Dancing Dragon?"

"When you are alone you may practice it as you please," he relented. "But should others discover it, things could become dire."

She didn't quite understand what he meant, but she nodded and smiled widely, more than happy that he was her mentor. It was that day that she'd secretly sewed a pocket with a small flap into her sleeve that the White Lotus Pai Sho tile would fit in and she'd hidden one inside.

…

Lien was right alongside Iroh and Aang as they dug into the tunnels of Ba Sing Sei, and beamed and rushed to Zuko to hug him, much to Aang and Katara's surprise. But right as they pulled apart and were about to begin trying to figure out what had happened, she heard the unmistakable sounds of Azula approaching.

Lien was, of course, horrified at Azula's murdering Aang, and she stood gaping in horror at what the princess had done. Azula was about to train her lightning on Lien as well, but Zuko intervened.

"Azula, don't! She's been helping me chase the Avatar all this time!" he cut in, putting himself between his sister and his friend. "She willingly joined me in exile, don't pin this on her as well! Whenever I left Uncle, she left Uncle!"

"It's true, Princess," Lien said quietly, bowing lowly and keeping her face in an emotionless mask that Aang had once taught her.

The entire ride home Lien was silent, staying inside her room and sulking at the loss of Iroh as a mentor, wondering what would happen if she went back to the Fire Nation, fearing going back home to her mother.

* * *

Um... yay? Books One and two are over, now... Um... should I be throwing confetti in celebration? Ah, uh, anyways...

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

I still don't own _Avatar: The Last Airbender_! Um... thank you's to my reviewers! This chapter's dedicated to you!

* * *

"Lien," Zuko said softly as he knocked on her door, but she didn't reply.

"She's been like that the whole time," Mai said calmly. "She won't leave for anything, not even for food, and barely for Azula."

"Barely for Azula?" he asked shocked. "She just goes to Azula, listens and then goes right back?"

"You get the idea," Mai said glaring at the door. "She's worthless, you know. She only sided with you because you were the first one to be her friend and help urge Ursa to get her away from her mother."

"That's not true," he half-shouted. "I didn't even know who she was until after mother had rescued her from that evil witch! All I knew about her was that she was a non-bender that looked up to her brothers, Lu Ten, my Uncle, and my mother because they were the only ones that gave her any kind of respect outside of her father!"

"Not Azula?"

"Azula was a rough spot for her, Mai! She adored her and wanted to be like her, but at the same time she was terrified of her and wanted to stay as far away from her as possible! The only way that I met her was because mother had taken to watching over her while she recovered from an injury and I wanted to spend some time with her!"

"Lien, or your mother?"

"My mother," he growled. "But I don't regret it for a minute, Mai. She was my first friend, she still is my first friend. She could have stayed in the Fire Nation and done something with her life, but instead she joined me and helped me on my quest to capture the Avatar!"

"Speaking of which, you might want to watch out," Mai said softly. "Azula's planning on hurting Lien because she killed Zhao."

"Zhao nearly killed her twice, Mai! Lien saved my life when she pushed Zhao down while he was attacking me after I'd defeated him in an Agni Kai! He tried to burn her face off, he would have if she hadn't been fast enough at running to hide behind me!"

"And the North Pole?"

"I'm not sure why, but she felt threatened by him. She said so herself, he sent shivers down her spine and made her feel as though she was near Koh's lair whenever Zhao was nearby. He had tried to kill me, Mai, and besides that the knife that Zhao was using in the North Pole was mine, one that she knew I held dear to me. she wanted me to have it back, that was the only reason she attacked him and with the intent of getting the knife back to me and then leaving him alone!"

Lien was shocked that Zuko was lying for her to protect her actions at the North Pole, and she sighed quietly as she went back to silently practicing the Dancing Dragon. It was one of the few things that helped keep her mind on Uncle Iroh now that he couldn't be her mentor, just as he had feared that he would. She sighed again as she remembered the plot that she had once had to push Zuko and Aang together, now realizing that it would be a miracle just for Aang to be alive.

"I hope you're alive, Aang," she murmured as she curled up and looked out at the Moon. "Yue, is Aang alive?"

"He is," she heard the moon whisper, and she smiled. "He is gravely injured, and Katara used the Oasis water to heal him, but he is alive. Your plan is not in vain, Lien. Keep planting the seeds in his mind to question his father and his father's meaning of honor. The two of you are the only chances that Aang has for firebender teachers aside from General Iroh."

"Thank you, Yue," she murmured gently, smiling up sadly. "I wish we could have been friends for longer. I don't know how, but you always seem to know just what to say when I need it most."

…

Dani, to Lien and Zuko's shock, was much more burned than Iroh had let on. The entire back half of her body was burned all the way up to her neck, and it draped forwards as if it was a cape covering her body blowing towards Lien in the wind. Her clothes covered the vast majority of the burns, but even Lien could still see the anger and hatred burning within her mother's eyes, now more powerful than ever before.

"Dani," Zuko said nodding curtly.

"If you'll excuse us, my brother and your daughter are joining my father and me in the palace," Azula said imperiously, making Lien grateful for her rude and snobbish behavior for the first time in her life.

Zuko and Lien were even more surprised when they were both given credit for killing Aang, with Lien getting the credit for helping Azula keep Aang's friends at bay for Zuko to kill him. Lien smiled alongside Zuko, staring down at the Fire Nation that was here to watch him get reinstated and for her to be honored as an honorary member of the family. She gave Zuko a proud look, but one that was also asking him if this was really what he wanted.

The momentary look in his eyes said that no, no this was not what he wanted.

…

Lien was upset, and rightfully so. Zuko was now spending more time with Mai than he had ever done before, and she of course was spending more and more time alone than ever before. So, with her door shut and a small sign saying 'please do not disturb' she set about practicing the firebending stances in order of Iroh teaching them twice every day, the Dancing Dragon non-stop for three hours on end, and of course meditating for another couple of hours after reviewing all the firebending stances that she had learned.

"Lien!" she heard, and she looked up at the sound of a servant's voice. "Fire Lord Ozai wishes to see you!"

* * *

I, um... I have to go to my next college class! I'm so sorry! I'll be back to update as soon as I can!


	11. Chapter 11

Lien bowed lowly as she approached Ozai's throne, not sure of what to say to him. She waited silently for him to make the first move.

"So you have not changed at all and wait for us to speak first," he said observing, and she bowed her head and closed her eyes for a few moments in respect. "Is this from habit, or from respect?"

"I do it in respect for our most gracious Fire Lord," she replied, this being from the honest truth. "I cannot thank you enough for permitting Prince Zuko to come home, my liege."

"How interesting, you did learn something on your travels. Respect. But, of course, I am most curious about the circumstances around your house burning the day that you left."

"That confuses myself as well, sir, but I will try to answer your questions as best I can," she said slightly confused, but hiding everything behind an emotionless mask once more.

"What was your mother yelling at you about?"

"I told her that I wished to join Prince Zuko in exile to help him restore his honor since he was once my fiancée," she replied calmly. "She grew angry and demanded that I stay home. My loyalty to Prince Zuko was more than that of to my mother, and so I tried to ignore her words and wrath as I packed my bags."

"And the fire?"

"That is where I am the most unsure, my lord," she said bowing. "Please, I do not know how the fire started, only that I had a lit candle in the room and that it erupted as my mother lunged to attack me."

"You believe that she has been hiding firebending abilities?"

"I believe that it is quite possible my lord, for whenever I asked if she had them or not she would remain silent or change the subject immediately."

"I see. And do you believe that you have firebending abilities?"

"I do not believe so, my lord, for I have been trying very much during my travels but to no avail. I gave up after a year, your highness."

"Your travels have done you well," he complimented, referring to her respect, not realizing that it was calm but very much forced and secretly hiding growing ill will.

"Thank you," she smiled. "I would never have achieved such if you had not banished Prince Zuko and permitted me to join him in his quest."

"Also," he began, and she looked up. "If you wish to return to the deal that I made with your father then you may do so."

"Thank you, my lord. I have always cared for Prince Zuko more than my own life," she beamed and bowed. "It is an honor to be back in the family. Does Prince Zuko know?"

"No, not yet. Tell him as you will."

"F-Fire Lord Ozai?" she stammered, and he glared down at her. "If I may be so bold… as to ask for my mother's banishment?"

"I will not banish Dani for punishing you, seeing as that is how a normal parent should behave," he said coldly. "However, I will interrogate her. If she was going to burn you, then the least that she should have done – seeing as how you have been at a higher social status than you – is to have the decency and honor to ask for an Agni Kai instead of trying to murder her Fire Princess."

"My most humble and grateful thanks, Fire Lord Ozai," Lien bowed.

"Just go tell the servants to fetch her."

Lien swallowed as she left, telling a servant what Ozai demanded, and then going back to her room to contemplate what to do. Iroh had said to follow his legacy. But how was she supposed to do that?

"Well, when in doubt go to the library," she sighed as she got up and left her room once more.

…

"But it wasn't me!" Dani protested angrily, with Lien secretly hiding in the darkest recesses of the interrogation room. "I didn't do it!"

"Whatever," a soldier snapped, and she noticed that there were two non-bender servants that were bringing in a candle.

Lien silently matched her breathing with her mother's and wished with her entire being that the candle would react to her mother's emotions. To the soldier and servants' shock, the candle flared angrily, sentencing the woman as a liar.

"No!" she screamed, and two soldiers dragged her off.

…

"Take her to the Boiling Rock," she heard Ozai say as she walked down the hall later that day with her nose in a book to calm herself down.

"Hm?" she said looking up, now staring at her mother, whose eyes were wide. "You! You little brat! I give birth to you, I raised you, and this is how you repay me?!"

"Silence!" Zuko roared, storming past Lien angrily. "How dare you speak to an honorary Princess in such a manner?!"

"She is no honorary Princess! That's a lie!" Dani shrieked. "You two are plotting something, I'm not stupid! Why else would my child be reading?!"

"because I wanted to learn the legacies and graces of Fire Lord Azulon from before I was born," she said emotionlessly, lying once more calmly.

It may not have shown in her tone or in her outer features, but Zuko knew where to look to for the indication of a lie in Lien's case. This, he knew, was a lie, but he defended her anyways and ordered Dani to be escorted out of the palace. To his interest, she was to be taken to Ozai for a meeting.

This time, however, he wisely decided to keep his nose out of the meeting and leave his father be. Lien also kept to herself, only her reason was to look up her mentor's legacies and background, which was luckily in the same history book as the one that most of Azulon and Sozin's legacies were in.

…

"Wow," Lien breathed as she saw the family tree for the Fire Nation royals.

She noticed how they were very well kept, and how it usually went for the current Fire Lord or Crown Prince up until four generations back on both sides. Zuko's was very interesting to see, and she of course knew who the Fire Lords were before Ozai and Azulon. She had known that Ursa was a nobleman's daughter, but the former Princess had one person missing from her family tree's records – her grandfather.

"Odd," Lien frowned. "I'd better check the other records."

"Other records for what?" she heard, and she snapped the book shut and turned to find Azula glaring down at her. "Looking at family trees? Trying to find your mummy's parents? Or your daddy's?"

"I wanted to learn of the different Fire Lords so that I could learn more about each one in turn and get a better view of what they looked like," she said beaming up at her. "Would you please do me the honor of joining me?"

"Well, then good luck," Azula laughed. "Not that it will do you much good to learn it since I have no doubt that my idiot brother will ignore you for Mai."

Lien frowned and began plotting once again. it was, after all, one of the things that she had grown good at during her travels with Zuko – plotting and deceiving others with subtle methods that involved other people doing what she wanted.


	12. Chapter 13

Lien paid Iroh a visit, trying to follow up with his words. He kept his back to her, but she calmly stated to the guards that they would not be needed. reluctantly they left, and she sighed and covered the window of the door.

"I did as you asked," she said as she sat down in front of the cell, and he looked around to her in shock.

"Why are you here? What of Zuko?"

"He's alright, we're amnestied now, Fire Lord Ozai said that I'm an 'honorary princess' and that the betrothal was back on if I wanted it to be, so long as I told Prince Zuko."

"Have you?"

"Uh, no," she said nervously. "But that's not what I'm here about. I've been doing my research and doing everything you told me to do and practicing it all. What legacy did you mean?"

"You know of what they call me," he said calmly. "Let your heart and the Spirits guide you on your own quest for what you desire."

She stared at him, trying to decipher what he spoke of just before they both heard banging and screaming.

"Do I look like a firebender to you?! Let me out!"

"Looks like it worked," Lien smiled nostalgically, and Iroh's eyebrows rose. "I managed to convince Fire Lord Ozai that I didn't feel very safe with my mother being free and that I had a hard time sleeping at night as a result."

"I see," he said softly with sorrow in his eyes. "You know of what I speak, you just don't know it yet."

She blinked at him and nodded before flinching as she heard her mother's angry profanity once more.

"As much as I appreciate your visiting me, I believe we should keep our visits short and infrequent so as not to arouse suspicion," Iroh murmured and Lien nodded.

"And I'll do my best to play the part of what Ozai would want until I can free you," she said softly just before standing up. "So you really are a coward. I had hoped that the brother of Fire Lord Ozai would not have done such a thing, but clearly I was wrong."

The guards watched as she left with an emotionless mask on her face, and she frowned as she thought of what Iroh was called. Once she got back into the Fire Palace she had gone to her room – which was in the outer reaches of the palace – and stared up at Yue.

"I wonder what General Iroh was called," she said softly.

She fell asleep with the moonbeams shining down on her as if willing her to sleep so that she could get her answer.

…

She stared as two dragons, a red and a blue, battled. The red one defeated the blue, but left it alone to recover, growling at it dangerously. However, they aged years within a few moments, and she now watched as something hurt the red dragon, killing it. the blue dragon roared triumphantly.

But to her shock, the dragon rotted and curled up into something new, a sky bison. The blue dragon now rotted as the sky bison remained in hibernation, and another blue dragon did the same thing. Right as the second dragon split into two – a blue and a red again – she noticed that the sky bison had moved ever so slightly.

She gasped as both dragons had young ones, and the blue one sired a strange dragon with both red and blue clashing and warring for dominance. The red one roared in greif as his own young one rotted away in its prime, and to Lien's shock the dragon and the strange red and blue dragon both turned to a new dragon for comfort, this one purest white with lotus petals for hair.

The blue one took up, and the red and blue one was sent away, with the white and red dragons both joining it. Lien turned to the blue dragon that was the younger one, and she now noticed that its underbelly was just the faintest red if you searched hard enough.

The sky bison awoke, and over the course of time gave battle to the red-and-blue dragon, with the red one occasionally joining in and the white one glaring at the fighting as if to say ask if they were really doing that. but the blue dragon joined the multicolored one, and together they defeated both the sky bison and the red dragon. The trio went back to the blue one, but every so often the white one would turn back to the red one when the others weren't looking.

The red dragon secretly sent messages to the multi-colored one, explaining something, but the others were oblivious to what was going on. the multi-colored dragon and the blue ones clearly couldn't coexist without a struggle, and Lien watched as another animal, this one a female dragon that was pink, stood beside the corpse of the original red one.

Lien was approached by the white dragon, who looked at her squarely in the eyes, and Lien gasped in horror as she saw that instead of having irises, it had White Lotus tiles. It roared as it flew up and joined the sky bison, urging him upwards and helping him to know what to do.

"You must choose," she heard, and she stared as the exiled red dragon spoke in Iroh's voice. "You must do what you know you must. Follow in my legacy."

Lien woke up with a jolt as she heard the sound of birds singing. Getting up in shock, she realized it was morning.

…

"So, how did you sleep last night?" Azula sneered to her.

"Oddly," she said at last. "I had a strange dream about animals."

"Oh really?" she laughed. "You are most definitely a weird one."

"Can dragons be multicolored?" Lien asked, and Azula laughed.

"You're joking! Uncle Iroh was the one to kill the last of the dragons! Why else do you think some people call him the 'Dragon of the West'?!"

Lien stared and realized now what her dream meant. Iroh had told her to follow his legacy, but the white dragon had lotus tiles for eyes, which could only mean one thing.

There was at least one final dragon still out there just waiting for her to find.


	13. Chapter 12

It was a few days before Zuko had left the Fire Nation a second time that Lien had gone to pay a visit to the Sun Warriors. She had bowed lowly to them, having shot the egg off the pedestal with a well-aimed throwing knife from above. Naturally the goop that she had known was the trap that she had known was there, rose to the top window just before she sighed and sat down.

"I suppose now I wait," she said calmly placing her arms in a meditative position.

…

Hours later, she heard a movement in the woods, and she opened her eyes and bowed lowly in the direction that she had heard it from.

"I bid you the highest greetings I have to offer," she said bowing lowly. "I mean you no harm, I merely wish to learn."

To her surprise and delight, a Sun Warrior came out, but to her dismay she was surrounded. Looking towards the leader, she bowed again.

"I was told by my mentor to follow his legacy, but he would not tell me what he meant. I have been travelling the world and following his footsteps as best I could. This was the place that I found shrouded in the most mystery since he would not ever tell me what happened here. Please, I wish to seek for knowledge of the old ways."

"Who are you?" the chief demanded warily.

"I am Lien, student and honorary daughter of General Iroh," she said bowing lowly. "It is an honor to meet you, brave Sun Warriors."

She did not know these customs, but the words 'daughter' and 'General Iroh' seemed to strike something within them. She waited silently and prayed to Agni that he would grant that she would survive to help Aang someday.

"We will teach," he said slowly, and she beamed at him. "But you must pass a test."

"Anything you please," she said eagerly. "Anything!"

"You must keep a fire lit during the entire time that you are to walk up to the shrine," he said pointing to the top of the mountain, and she swallowed in fear.

…

"Lien, you're back," Azula beamed, and Lien watched her warily, feeling the power ripple beneath her skin. "Where were you? Zuzu's been frantic."

"Sorry, it was just a personal visit that I wanted to take in order to do some field research," she smiled warmly at her, reminding herself to behave. "Where might I find him?"

"Probably with Mai again," Azula mocked, not realizing that he had left.

"Oh. Well, I suppose we'll see him sometime," she shrugged and then retreated to her room.

She gasped as she saw a tiny sliver of a note sticking out from under her pillow.

_Lien,_

_I've gone to see if the Avatar is still alive. If he is, then I'm going to restore the honor of me, my lineage, and the Fire Nation by teaching him firebending. Join me when you can, if you still want. You're right, you always have been. I was just too stupid to realize it._

_Zuko_

_PS. Burn this when you're done so Azula doesn't catch me_

Lien beamed as she read the note and knew immediately what the rest of the dream meant. Zuko was the multicolored dragon from her dream, since the two dragons must have had lineage racing through his veins.

"Agni?" she asked softly as she burned the paper with a candle.

"Yes, child?" she heard a male say, and she jumped slightly.

"Where are the others now?" she asked softly, and she heard a chuckling.

"The young Prince is now going to try to find the Avatar. Meet them at one of the Air Temples. I will guide you, but you must be willing to do what it takes to help them."

"Even if it means taking a life," she confirmed. "I will detest it, but I have worked too hard to let the Fire Nation win this war. I will not allow my home to become tyrants!"

"I knew that Yue was correct by watching you battle and do everything you could. Go, find him, and remember to remind him of what the two of you once had together."

She smiled and immediately followed Azula to a warship. She knew where to go, but she wasn't about to let anyone get in her way for anything if she could help it.

…

Zuko, to Lien's amusement, was pacing and trying to figure out what Uncle Iroh would have done. She smiled as she confirmed that he was, indeed, the multicolored dragon from her dream. Lien watched as a small blind earthbender female approached Zuko's campsite. She wanted to warn her, but in doing so she would risk herself, and revealing that she had again followed him.

"Who's there?" Zuko demanded right as the earthbender put up a rock to defend herself.

Lien shook her head as the earthbender in question cried out in pain and fled as best that she could with burned feet.

"Aagh! Why is it so hard being good?!" Zuko yelled frustrated as he figured out who it was that he had just burned.

…

Lien immediately ran to the location that she got a gut feeling they were at, and sure enough they were there, with Katara healing the earthbender's feet.

"Okay, Toph, you should probably stay off your feet for a few days," Katara said gently, and Lien smiled proudly.

"I'd recognize those healing abilities anywhere," she said coming down and grinning at them.

"Lien!" Katara, Aang and Sokka beamed as they rushed forwards to hug her.

"Oh, it's so good to see you! How's your jaw?" Katara fretted, and Lien looked up to show that there was no scar.

"Good as new thanks to your excelled healing and the properties of the Oasis Water," she grinned. "Nice new toy there, Sokka. You buy it?"

"Nope! I made it," he said proudly showing off the swords, and Lien laughed.

"You got one, but I got _two_ and you-know-who taught me how to use them," she grinned proudly.

"Prince Zuko?" Aang guessed, and Lien blushed embarrassed. "It is, isn't it?!"

"Granted, he did teach me swordplay, but his Uncle Iroh taught me much more and I really prefer to help more than anything else," she said trying to control her racing heart. "But I was actually referring to the one I was telling you about in the Spirit Oasis."

"Oh, right, the one that your parents put you in an arranged marriage with that you have to marry when you come of age," Sokka realized. "Did he ever figure it out?"

"Nope! And the best part? My mom is finally in prison where she belongs!" Lien laughed.

"From the way you described her, then I'm glad a menace like that is off the streets," Aang smiled nervously. "So, um, is it true? Did you really do nothing back in Ba Sing Sei?"

"I'm sorry, Aang, but if I had then Azula would have killed me, too, and I promised Uncle Iroh that I'd steer Prince Zuko back onto the path that Princess Ursa raised him to. To be honest, I've already gotten him started on the path, up until _somebody _intervened and made him feel not welcome!"

"He deserved it! He's a firebender, he should jump off a cliff!" Sokka snapped back defensively. "All firebenders – except Aang - should!"

"I see where I stand then and maybe I will," Lien said as tears filled her eyes. "Zuko was right, Sokka. Maybe he and I really aren't cut out to join you guys and help you defeat Ozai and restore our honor and that of the Fire Nation. I was going to help show Aang where to go to learn firebending, but now I see that I'm just as welcome as Prince Zuko."

"Lien! Lien, wait!" Aang called out as she left, ignoring his cries as she left through the trees.

"Great, Sokka! Now look what you did!" Katara yelled angrily.

"What? She's a non-bender!" he said defensively.

"She was telling the truth," Toph said, speaking up at last. "She really was going to help Twinkle-Toes."

"And jumping off a cliff?" Aang asked worriedly, and Toph shrugged.

"She seems a little emotional to me. Care to explain that?"

"Well, since you're already sitting down, we'll tell you what we know about Lien, or rather what she told us at the North Pole after trying to help us fight off the Fire Nation Admiral that killed the original moon spirit," Aang sighed as he sat down in front of her.


End file.
